Wicca, you may want to collect at least some of these tools. Search through antique and junk shops, swap meets, and flea markets for these treasures. Or,write or email occult suppliers (addresses in appendix I). Though difficult to find, your ritual tools are well worth any efforts expended to obtain them.
These tools aren’t necessary to the practice of Wicca. They do, however, enrich rituals and symbolize complex energies. The tools have no power save for that which we lend to them.
Some say that we should use magical tools until we no longer need them. Perhaps it’s better to use them as long as you feel comfortable in doing so.
The Broom
Witches use brooms in magic and ritual. It is a tool sacred to both the Goddess and God. This is nothing new; pre-Colombian Mexico saw the worship of a type of Witch deity, Tlazelteotl, who was pictured riding naked on a broom. The Chinese worship a broom goddess who is invoked to bring clear weather in times of rain.
Then too, probably because of its phallic shape, the broom became a powerful tool against curses and practitioners of evil magic. Laid across the threshold, the broom halted all spells sent to the house or those resident within. A broom under the pillow brought pleasant dreams and guarded the sleeper.
European Witches became identified with the broom because both were infused with magic in religious and popular thought. Witches were accused of flying on broomsticks, and this was considered proof of their alliance with “dark powers.” Such an act, if it could be performed, would indeed be supernatural and, therefore, of the Devil in their eyes, in contrast to the simple healing and love spells that Witches actually performed. Of course, the tale was invented by Witch persecutors. *
Today the broom is still used in Wicca. A Wicca may begin a ritual by sweeping the area (indoors or out) lightly with the magic broom. After this, the altar is set up, the tools carried out, and the ritual is ready to begin (See chapter 13, “Ritual Design”).
This sweeping is more than a physical cleansing. In fact, the broom’s bristles needn’t touch the ground. While brushing, the Wiccan visualizes the broom sweeping out the astral buildup that occurs where humans live. This purifies the area to allow smoother ritual workings.
Since it is a purifier, the broom is linked with the element of water. Thus it is also used in all types of water spells, including those of love and psychic workings.
Many Witches collect brooms, and indeed their endless variety and the exotic materials used in their manufacture make this an interesting hobby.
If you wish to make your magic broom, you might try the old magical formula of an ash staff, birch twigs, and a willow binding. The ash is protective, the birch is purifying, and the willow is sacred to the Goddesss.
Of course, a branch from any tree or bush can be used in place of the broom (while cutting it, thank the tree for its sacrifice, using such words as will be found in the “An Herbal Grimoire” section of The Standing Stones Book of Shadows, section III). A tiny broom of pine needles can also be used.
In early American slave weddings, as well as Gypsy nuptials, the couple often ritually jumped a broomstick to solemnize their union. Such marriages were quite common until recent times, and even today Wiccan and pagan handfastings often include a broom leap.
There are many old spells involving brooms. In general, the broom is a purificatory and protective instrument, used to ritually cleanse the area for magic or to guard a home by laying it across the threshold, under the bed, in windowsills, or on doors.
The broom used for magic, as with all magical tools, should be reserved for this purpose only. If you decide to buy a broom, try to find a round one; the flat Shaker-type brooms just don’t seem to have the same effect. *
Wand
The wand is one of the prime magical tools. It has been used for thousands of years in magical and
These tools aren’t necessary to the practice of Wicca. They do, however, enrich rituals and symbolize complex energies. The tools have no power save for that which we lend to them.
Some say that we should use magical tools until we no longer need them. Perhaps it’s better to use them as long as you feel comfortable in doing so.
The Broom
Witches use brooms in magic and ritual. It is a tool sacred to both the Goddess and God. This is nothing new; pre-Colombian Mexico saw the worship of a type of Witch deity, Tlazelteotl, who was pictured riding naked on a broom. The Chinese worship a broom goddess who is invoked to bring clear weather in times of rain.
Then too, probably because of its phallic shape, the broom became a powerful tool against curses and practitioners of evil magic. Laid across the threshold, the broom halted all spells sent to the house or those resident within. A broom under the pillow brought pleasant dreams and guarded the sleeper.
European Witches became identified with the broom because both were infused with magic in religious and popular thought. Witches were accused of flying on broomsticks, and this was considered proof of their alliance with “dark powers.” Such an act, if it could be performed, would indeed be supernatural and, therefore, of the Devil in their eyes, in contrast to the simple healing and love spells that Witches actually performed. Of course, the tale was invented by Witch persecutors. *
Today the broom is still used in Wicca. A Wicca may begin a ritual by sweeping the area (indoors or out) lightly with the magic broom. After this, the altar is set up, the tools carried out, and the ritual is ready to begin (See chapter 13, “Ritual Design”).
This sweeping is more than a physical cleansing. In fact, the broom’s bristles needn’t touch the ground. While brushing, the Wiccan visualizes the broom sweeping out the astral buildup that occurs where humans live. This purifies the area to allow smoother ritual workings.
Since it is a purifier, the broom is linked with the element of water. Thus it is also used in all types of water spells, including those of love and psychic workings.
Many Witches collect brooms, and indeed their endless variety and the exotic materials used in their manufacture make this an interesting hobby.
If you wish to make your magic broom, you might try the old magical formula of an ash staff, birch twigs, and a willow binding. The ash is protective, the birch is purifying, and the willow is sacred to the Goddesss.
Of course, a branch from any tree or bush can be used in place of the broom (while cutting it, thank the tree for its sacrifice, using such words as will be found in the “An Herbal Grimoire” section of The Standing Stones Book of Shadows, section III). A tiny broom of pine needles can also be used.
In early American slave weddings, as well as Gypsy nuptials, the couple often ritually jumped a broomstick to solemnize their union. Such marriages were quite common until recent times, and even today Wiccan and pagan handfastings often include a broom leap.
There are many old spells involving brooms. In general, the broom is a purificatory and protective instrument, used to ritually cleanse the area for magic or to guard a home by laying it across the threshold, under the bed, in windowsills, or on doors.
The broom used for magic, as with all magical tools, should be reserved for this purpose only. If you decide to buy a broom, try to find a round one; the flat Shaker-type brooms just don’t seem to have the same effect. *
Wand
The wand is one of the prime magical tools. It has been used for thousands of years in magical and
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